WHAT WERE COMMONLY HELD BELIEGS ABOUT GHOSTS, WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT, OTHER SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA, FAIRIES, AND OTHER MYTHICAL CREATURES IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND? WHAT WERE JAMES I'S BELIEFS ABOUT SUCH THINGS? HOW ARE THESE BELIEFS REFLECTED IN SHAKESPEARE'S WORKS?
Answer Prepared by: Greg Trinkl
Witches, witchcraft, and other supernatural beings in Shakespeare’s England were considered dangerous to the well-being of the public. In Shakespeare’s England, witches were often blamed for unexplainable events, such as disease and death, while fairies and other beings were blamed for nightmares and other mischievous activities. In Shakespeare’s England, most accusations of witchcraft were filed against women. The first step in a trial was the interrogation of the accused’s neighbors and friends to testify to his/her innocence. If no one came to the person’s defense, then he/she would be administered a swimming test. According to Gail Stewart, author of Life in Elizabethan England (83-85), in the swimming test, the suspect would have his/her big toe and thumb tied together; they would then be thrown into a pond or lake. If the suspect floated, they were convicted of witchcraft under the assumption that they were assisted by the devil. The punishment for witchcraft in England at that time was hanging. If the suspect sank, however, they would be fished out of the pond if they lived, and the charges of witchcraft would be dropped.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I there was a distinction made between the “White Witches”, the “wise women” or “cunning folk” who used their knowledge of the healing properties of various plants and herbs to benefit their communities and the “Black Witches” who practiced the secret arts in order to do physical or emotional harm to others. This is reflected in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the characters of Puck and the fairies. These beings are shown with a harmless sprit of mischief. When King James I came to power, his beliefs greatly affected the public’s views on witchcraft and the supernatural. He believed these beings were absolute evil as evidenced in his book “Deamonology”. Shakespeare, being aware of King James I’s loathing of witches, wrote Macbeth to please his king. William Shakespeare “turned up” the malevolence of the “weird sisters” (witches) in Macbeth in an effort to find favor with the royal court. The hysteria of the witch hunts was an unfortunate side effect, and sadly, many innocent women lost their lives.
WHAT WERE COMMONLY HELD BELIEGS ABOUT GHOSTS, WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT, OTHER SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA, FAIRIES, AND OTHER MYTHICAL CREATURES IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND? WHAT WERE JAMES I'S BELIEFS ABOUT SUCH THINGS? HOW ARE THESE BELIEFS REFLECTED IN SHAKESPEARE'S WORKS?
Answer Prepared by: Greg TrinklWitches, witchcraft, and other supernatural beings in Shakespeare’s England were considered dangerous to the well-being of the public. In Shakespeare’s England, witches were often blamed for unexplainable events, such as disease and death, while fairies and other beings were blamed for nightmares and other mischievous activities. In Shakespeare’s England, most accusations of witchcraft were filed against women. The first step in a trial was the interrogation of the accused’s neighbors and friends to testify to his/her innocence. If no one came to the person’s defense, then he/she would be administered a swimming test. According to Gail Stewart, author of Life in Elizabethan England (83-85), in the swimming test, the suspect would have his/her big toe and thumb tied together; they would then be thrown into a pond or lake. If the suspect floated, they were convicted of witchcraft under the assumption that they were assisted by the devil. The punishment for witchcraft in England at that time was hanging. If the suspect sank, however, they would be fished out of the pond if they lived, and the charges of witchcraft would be dropped.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I there was a distinction made between the “White Witches”, the “wise women” or “cunning folk” who used their knowledge of the healing properties of various plants and herbs to benefit their communities and the “Black Witches” who practiced the secret arts in order to do physical or emotional harm to others. This is reflected in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the characters of Puck and the fairies. These beings are shown with a harmless sprit of mischief. When King James I came to power, his beliefs greatly affected the public’s views on witchcraft and the supernatural. He believed these beings were absolute evil as evidenced in his book “Deamonology”. Shakespeare, being aware of King James I’s loathing of witches, wrote Macbeth to please his king. William Shakespeare “turned up” the malevolence of the “weird sisters” (witches) in Macbeth in an effort to find favor with the royal court. The hysteria of the witch hunts was an unfortunate side effect, and sadly, many innocent women lost their lives.
Works Cited
"Elizabethan Witchcraft and Witches." Elizabethan Era. N.p., 3/20/2008. Web. 10 Apr 2010.<http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-witchcraft-and-witches.htm>.
Picard, Lisa. Elizabeth's England. 1st. 1. London, England: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2003. 329. Print.
Stewart, Gail. Life in Elizabethan England. 1st. 1. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books, 2003. Print.